Photo Credit: Cricket Ireland
Bready Cricket Club in Co. Tyrone is one of only two sports clubs in the UK shortlisted for the award. You can now vote to support Bready in this competition.
When the pandemic halted play around the country, Bready Cricket Club helped served up Sunday lunches and put on activities to support the local village community that helps sustain it.
The club has been a key part of the village community for more than 80 years – as well as providing grassroots sports coaching and competition to boys and girls in the local area, as well as senior players of all Genders. Its clubhouse is also a fantastic spot for social gatherings between club members and the villagers.
When the pandemic stopped play, the club knew the community still needed it and decided to cook up free Sunday meals for the elderly, vulnerable and front-line workers on a weekend early in the first lockdown. This act of kindness was so well received that the club volunteers continued with the initiative.
Over a 12-month period, Bready’s cricketing cooks not only made, but delivered meals every Sunday, serving up to 4,500 portions in total. They did this unselfishly, despite the club being under intense financial pressure due to the ceasing of sporting activities and the enforced closure of the clubhouse.
Read our earlier story about this project
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Nominated by Sport Northern Ireland as part of their “Build Back Better” success stories, Bready, which has been supported by The National Lottery in the past through Sport N.I. found additional ways to reach out to people around the local area and reduce isolation. Running activities such as socially distanced keep fit, bingo, and socially distanced fun for the youth teams who had missed out on months of school and seeing friends.
The resulting growth in community participation has seen more and more volunteers flow into the club, many of whom have repaid the club members in kindness by helping with the club’s essential maintenance work over the past year. Serving as a perfect example of a club building back better.
The vote for the winner is up for public vote, so to show your support by following this link to support a fantastic achievement for the club: https://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/projects/view/bready-cricket-club?context=vote
